Freshman Admission 101: The Basics for New Counselors UC Counselor Conference September 2015

Apply broadly to increase your chances of admission 9 Campuses – 1 Application Same UC Application for all nine undergraduate campuses Select campuses on application: copy is submitted to each UC Apply broadly to increase your chances of admission

Freshman Eligibility Requirements Coursework Grade Point Average Examinations

Coursework Requirement Complete any 11 UC- approved “a-g” courses prior to senior year Complete all 15-course “a-g” subject pattern by the end of senior year Must be completed with a grade of C or better

Grade Point Average Requirement Based on “a-g” courses completed in 10th and 11th grades, including summer courses Minimum 3.00 weighted GPA (for CA Residents) Minimum 3.40 weighted GPA (for non-CA Residents)

Examination Requirement ACT with Writing or SAT Reasoning Test by December of senior year Redesigned SAT: First exam date is March 2016 UC will accept scores from SAT Reasoning for Fall 2017 applicants and beyond Some campuses may recommend SAT Subject Tests for specific majors: http://tinyurl.com/exam-requirements

Admissions by Examination To be considered students must… Take either the ACT Plus Writing or the SAT, as well as two SAT Subject Test in two different disciplines. Achieve a minimum UC score total of 410 (425 for nonresidents) Must earn a minimum UC Score of 63 on each component of the ACT Plus writing or SAT and on each of the subject Test. For instructions on calculating the UC Score, see http://tinyurl.com/admissions-index Students who qualify by examination are entitled to full review of their application The Revised SAT will not be accepted for Admission by Exam consideration for Fall 16

Admissions by Exception Sometimes even the most creative, focused and intellectually passionate students aren’t able to fulfill our admissions requirements If such students have the ability and potential to succeed at UC, they may qualify for admissions by exception Applicants should use their personal statement or additional comments section of the application to explain their unique story

California-Resident Students State Wide Context: Students that rank in the top 9 percent of the graduates statewide, are guaranteed admission to a UC Refer to our admissions index calculator: http://tinyurl.com/admissions-index

Local Context Our eligibility in the local context (ELC) program recognizes students accomplishments in the light of opportunities offered by their particular high schools. For California students to be considered for a guarantee in the local context, they must complete 11 specific yearlong courses by the end of junior year (including summer)

Campus Selection: Using Comprehensive Review

Requirements vs. Selection Meets A-G Meets GPA Exams Individual campus selection Comprehensive Review (multiple types) No campus collaboration

Comprehensive Review & Apply UC Comprehensive Review is based on the entire application, including the personal statement Students need to take care to fill out the application thoroughly, including: Personal information Academic history Activities & Awards, plus quantitative or qualitative explanations

14 Comprehensive Review Factors Academic: Grade-point average Test scores Performance in and number of courses beyond minimum a-g requirements UC-approved honors courses and advanced courses Eligibility in the Local Context (CA residents only) Quality of senior-year program of study Academic opportunities in California high schools Outstanding performance in one or more academic subject areas Non-Academic: Achievements in special projects Improvement in academic performance Special talents, achievements and awards Participation in educational preparation programs Academic accomplishment in light of life experiences Geographic location *Note: No single factor determines admission

Personal Statement Applicants are asked to respond to two prompts: Describe the world you come from—for example, your family, community or school—and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations. Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are? Word Count: 1,000 words total

Advice for the Personal Statement Do not be campus specific! Don’t stretch the truth, just be honest Be cautious of your timeline. Ask yourself, is this relevant to me now? Tie it back to you. Always. Use “I” or “my” statements Use specific examples It’s not an essay, structure is not graded

Additional Comments Section Use Additional Comments box for clarification and expansion of important details Describe anything else that you have not had the opportunity to include elsewhere in your application Limit of 550 words The Additional Comments section is not required

Guiding Students Through the College Preparation Process

The Road to College 12th Grade 11th Grade 10th Grade 9th Grade 7th/8th Grade 11th Grade 19

7/8th Grade - Prepare Seek out middle school counselor for course selection Attend orientation every year Begin volunteering in your community

9TH Grade - Explore UC Admissions websites: Doorways A-G Course Lists Online Classes Community College Classes & Community College A-G list www.ucop.edu/agguide/ Counselor Resources: Options for Satisfying A-G Chart CSU-UC Comparison Chart A-G Guide Website

10TH Grade - Sustain Free Test Prep Resources: www.number2.com College Board SAT & ACT prep – text message of the day KHAN academy www.khanacademy.org Tools to Explore Campuses: UC Campus websites Chegg: www.chegg.com Cappex: www.cappex.com The Princeton Review’s School Search: www.princetonreview.com/schoolsearch.aspx CollegeWeekLive: www.collegeweeklive.com

11TH Grade - Challenge Test Taking Tips: Read! Take practice tests early to know where you may need help UC accepts both ACT with Writing and the SAT Reasoning Test and will take your highest test score from a single test date Academic Challenges: Rigor of course schedule College Courses

12TH Grade - Apply Deadlines Apply UC open August 1st UC Application Fall filing period: November 1-30 File FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov Admissions notifications (posted online): March 1-30 Students must opt-in to waitlists Submit Statement of Intent to Register (SIR): May 1st Official high school and college records due: July 1st

Frequently Asked Topics & Questions

Course Validation Validation: To take a higher level course in a subject area that requires sequential knowledge (only Math & Language Other than English) There are two types of validation: Validation of Coursework: “Subject Omission” - validation of a lower–level course even if the lower level course was not actually completed.  Validation of Grades: “Grade Deficiency” – validation grades of D or F in a lower level course after completion of a higher level course with a grade of C or better.

Repeats and Duplication Repeating Coursework: To take the exact same course over again to replace a D or F grade (AP does not repeat CP coursework) Duplication: Repeating the exact same course or one of similar content after a grade of C or better has been received. UC will not accept duplication of coursework.

Online Course Policy Effective for online courses completed during 2013-14 academic year and beyond. UC does accept online college VPA courses. The online course policy and requirements approved by the Board Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS) only extends to high school-level online courses. UC accepts online college courses to satisfy all of the "a-g" subject requirements

Can students take online courses to satisfy “a-g”? High school purchasing UC-approved online courses from a provider/publisher. List of providers available on “a-g” Guide. Providers’ “a-g” course lists available on Course List website. Approved courses must be added to high school’s “a-g” course list. Student enrolling independently in UC-approved online course Principal certifying non-UC-approved online courses. Exception: NOT applicable for online lab science & visual and performing arts courses.

Resources

A-G Guide: Informational website for everything “a-g” Update high school course lists Career Technical Education (CTE) Online Learning New URL: http://www.ucop.edu/agguide/

Join the conversation on social media

Virtual Opportunities to Connect UC Day: October 8th 1:00-8:00 PM

Visit in Person or Online! Fall Preview Days Spring Open Houses Virtual Tours Virtual Advising Appointments

Stay in Touch! Ask Us Questions! Twitter Instagram Email is always an option! Facebook YouTube

Thank you!